Fastening and lock for attache cases and the like



April 22 1924. W. H. CLARKE-'JAMEQ FASTENING AND LOCK FOR ATTAOHE'] CASES AND THE BUG? Filed NOV. 11, 1922 INVENTOR.

Maw/aim Patented Apr. 22, 1924,

curiae stares PArENr omen;

WILLIAM HENRY CLARKE-JAMES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

i rnsrnnme AND LOCK on Ar'monn cases m) TH LIKE.

"ing to Fas'tenings and Looks for Attache Cases and the like, of which the following is a'specification. i

This invention relates to fastenin'gs and locks for'attach cases and the like. In the usual type of fastening and look at present employed a spring controlled hasp having an eye on its under surface is engaged by a spring controlled sliding-catch or belt which may be locked in its engaged position and such arrangement is found in practice to be unreliable since it is not possible to see whether the eye of the hasp is properly engaged in] the locked position so that it often happens that when the caseis being-carried, the haspsuddenly flies out, the lid" of the case opens and the contents of the case fall to the ground, now the primaryobjects of the present invention are to overcome these defects and to produce a reliable and positive fastening and'lock which visibly shows when 'the'hasp is in'a fastenedor -an-unfas-' t'ene'd position and in 'whichit is rendered impossible for the hasp to become inadvertently ur -fastened 'or the fastening to be a-c 'cidentally operated to release the hasp.

This invention will now be particularly described making reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a lockembodying the present invention and showing the 'hasp in a fastened position.

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the hasp in an unfastened position.

Fig. 3 is a view in back elevation of the locking and fastening mechanism with the back casing removed.

Fig. 4;is a sectional view of nis Fig.7 is aview in backelevation of-afun ther modification, with the back plate re moved.

the -mecha-' Application filednove ber 11, 1922. Serial Nb. 600,371.

tion'shown on Fig. 7

Figs. 9, 10, 11 an'd12 are broken viewsin front elevation of modified forms of fasten in s, and

ig. 13 is a view in section of Fig. 12. Throughout the views similar parts are marked with like letters of "reference;

On a plate a adapted to be secured to one 7 Fig. 8 is a view in section of the modificapart of the case is revolubly mounted aturn button. This button is provided eitherwith an elliptical shaped head I) as shown on Figs 1, 2, 4, 9, 12 and 13 or with other suitably shaped head, for instance as shown on Figs. 10 and 11. The shank b of the button of a reduced diameter between its head and the surface of. the plate aI On the other of the case'is fixed the usual has'p c wh ch may be spring controlledwhich is furnished with an eye or opening 0 corresponding in shape to the head 6 of-the turn:-

button and adapted to pass over the turn button and to be engaged by the head Z) on giving it a quarter 'turn'as shown on Figs. -1, 9,10,11, 1'2 and-13. '1' The turn button may be so spring controlled thatitalways assumes either one or two definite positions and any suitable locking means operable by a key may bemounted on the back of the plate 'a so as to lock the turn button and prevent its rotation.

In'the preferred construction offastening and lock see Figs. 1-8, the turn button automatically assumes a fastened'position on pressing the hasp a over it. In such cons'tructions, see partioula-rly Figs. 3 and 4, the shank b of the button passes through the lock plate a. and the elliptical head I; with finger operable wings b thereon is fixed to the shank" b on the outer sideof-the look plate a. On the shank b on the inner side of-the lock plate'a is fixed adisc b in the periphery of which is a. slot orno-tch b. A

spring pressed non-rotatablepind projects through the lock plate a so that its projecting head will contact with and be pressed inwardly by the hasp 0 after passing over the head I) .of the turnbutton. Thispin dis prevented from rotating by squaring its inner-endadapting itto worlrin a square hole {formed in; a block .5 carried es. the housing a and is pressed outwardly by a spring 65 The pin 65 carries a tooth (Z adapted to normally engage the slot or notch 77 in the pe riphery of the disc 6 but to be disengaged therefrom on pressing the pin (Z inwardly.

A springpreferably a coiled spring 6 on a barrel 6 on the shank b or carried on the disc b is so arranged as to rotate the turn button in one direction as indicated by the arrow on Fig. 3. A pin or stop 6 is carried by the disc b to engage the tooth (Z on the pin (Z so as to limit the movement of the disc to a quarter revolution 'under the influence of the spring e'when the toothd is out of engagement with the slot or notch b? In the periphery of the disc (Z diametrically opposite the slot or notch 6 is a second slot or notch Z 1 adapted to be engaged by the bolt 7 of usual lever locking mechanism 7" when in correct position and the key of the lock is operated.

In the modification shown on Figs. 5 and 6, the turn button is rotated in an opposite direction (as indicated by the arrow on Fig. 5) to that of Figs?) and 4, by means of a helical tension spring 6 and flexible connection 6 fixed on the barrel bf. By such arrangement only one slot or notch b in the disc I) is required as the bolt 7 of the looking mechanism can engage this slot after the button has turned a quarterrevolution and been stopped in such position by the stop b engaging the tooth (Z of the pin d. The spring controlled pin d is prevented from rotating by allowing its tooth (Z to engage a slot in the guide (Z In the modification shown on Figs. 7 and 8, the key hole for the locking mechanism is situated centrally in the shank b and looking mechanism is carried on the back of the disc 79 formed in one with or carried by the shank 6 In this construction the disc I) tends to rotate'in the direction of the arrow by means of a coil spring 6. 7

The disc I) is held in its one position to allow the hasp passing over the head I) by means of the tooth d carried by the non-rotatable spring controlled pin cl engaging the slot b in the periphery of the disc I).

When the pin (Z is pressed inwardly bythe hasp, the tooth d rides'on the face of the turning disc until the one limb of the forked bolt 7 engages said tooth and so prevents further movement of the disc. The locking mechanismin this construction is of the simplest form, itcomprises a slotted bolt 7 guided and controlled in its movement by fixed pins 7' and having a projection 7 adapted to be engaged by the key to move it.

The bolt is frictionally engaged by a spring pressed plate 7" carried by the back plate a. The plate f also serves to keep the d sc 6 in proper position. When the hasp is fastened, the one limb of the forked so that on shooting the bolt by a key, both limbs of the bolt will engage the tooth and so prevent relative movement of the parts.

In a further modification the usual form of lever lock: may be employed with a centrally disposed keyhole in the shank in which case the locking mechanism is carried on the non-movable back plate.

To prevent relative vertical movement of the twoparts to which the plate a and hasp o is fixed when in the closed position in the constructions shown on Figs. 1 and 2, a pin 0 is furnished on the. under side of the hasp adapted to engage a hole a in the plate a. It will be seen that such registering means is riot required either .in the *constructions shown on Figs.:.9-11 due to the shape and relative arrangement of the buttons and eyes in the hasps or in the modification mounted to turn on said plate, a hasp car-.

ried on the other part of the case provided with an opening therein correspondingin shape to the head of theturn button and adapted to pass over it and to be engaged by the head on giving it a quarter'turn a.

notched disc fixed to the shank of the turn button, a spring tending to'rotate said disc, a spring pressed non-rotatable pin carried on and having a head projecting through the plate and so positioned thereon'as to be engaged by the hasp when the latter is in engagement with the turn button, a tooth carried on said pin. and normally engaging the notched disc when the turn button carried therein is disengaged from the hasp but disengaging said disc on the 'hasp pressing the pin inwardly, and a stop carried on said disc adapted toengage the tooth on the pin when the disc has turned one quarter revolution under the influence'of its spring, as set forth.

2. A fastening for attach cases and the like comprising in combination a plate carried on the one part of the case, a turn button having an irregularly shaped head mounted to turn on said plate, a'hasp carried on the other part of the case provided with an opening therein corresponding in shape to the head of the turn button and adapted to pass over it and to be engaged bolt will be in engagment with the tooth (5, plate and so positioned thereon as tobe enhead projecting through the gaged by the hasp when the latter is in engagement with the turn button, a tooth carried on said pin and normally engaging the notched disc when the turn button carried 5 thereon is disengaged from the hasp but disengaging said disc on the hasp pressing the pin inwardly, a stop carried on said disc adapted to engage the tooth on the pin when the disc has turned one quarter revolution under the influence of its spring and a key 10 operable sliding bolt adapted to lock the disc from rotation, as set forth;

WILLIAM HENRY CLARKE-JAMES. 

